For a Cause Not My Own
by Dhagon
Summary: Tanya von Degurechaff is sick of her situation. Decades spent as the plaything of Being X has made it's mark on her. He's made a mistake though. Since she's not a follower of his he can give her 'gifts', but can't take them away. Every new hellhole he sends her too she becomes just a little bit stronger. For now all she needs to do is endure.


Prologue The Next Great Adventure

(A/N): Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Tanya Degurechaff watched the sunset and reflected that quiet moments like this weren't so bad. At first glance she sight have been any other woman. Long blonde hair and features showing she was middle aged. Even her worn uniform was unremarkable. After decades of war, the majority of the population had worn a uniform at some point in their life.

Then the differences would become apparent. Her hair wasn't blonde. It was gold and like her eyes glowed softly from the energy that was constantly being channeled. Mostly though, it was the fact that she was currently hovering at twenty thousand feet.

Despite their best efforts no country, not even her own, has ever been able to repeat the success of the Elinium Type 95 Operational Orb. She knows full well why too. The bastard Being X essentially cheated when it came to her.

Not that no one had tried. Hell Tanya had even taken a stab at it. She had thrown herself into the study of theoretical magic in order to try and find away around her requirements. If she could use the Type 95 without praying she'd gladly laugh in Being X's face.

Sadly it was not to be. Even von Schugel hadn't been able to do more than duplicate the results of his 'divine inspiration'. They were getting closer though. Two decades of frantic research had pushed them far closer than expected. Only a year after her own prototype had been field tested the Type 97 dual-core Operational Orb had been produced.

A few years after that they had even managed to create the Type 100 quad-core Operational Orb. Although it had been quickly discontinued as a waste of resources. The problem was the multicore orbs were vastly inferior to her own. More cores only meant a mage could multitask more efficiently. Not that they could do what she could.

Still the research had been marginally useful. At least it had reminded her of the computer networks from her old world. Which is why she now was in the singular position of owning no less than four computational orbs. All Type 95s and each dedicated to a different task. Although three were fixed, handling her flight, shielding and scanning.

Tanya wasn't the only one to be doing so. As the war waged on, more and more resources had been funneled into the mage corps. All of her fellow knights now used at least a pair of networked operational orbs. Although she was still the only one capable of mana fixation.

Mana fixation. The phenomena of stabilizing raw mana to such a degree that it acquires a physical presence. It was an achievement unique to her so far and much like Einstein's theory of relativity something which had been considered only theoretical.

It was her ability to stabilize raw mana that was to blame for both her hair and eyes. They were a side effect of her constant use of Physical Reinforcement on her own body. It was again, something that no one before her had done. Although at least this technique was known. Just considered extremely difficult and largely pointless.

It had long since become effortless for her. Her body maintaining the effect even without her conscious control. Her physical reinforcement had integrated itself into her very being. It was as much a part of her body as her own flesh and blood.

Over the years her capabilities had only grown. Now her body responded as fast as she thought, giving her inhuman reflexes. Combined with her constant scanning it often looked like she was reacting to attacks before they happened. Which is close to the truth.

There was a reason Tanya had an entire operational orb dedicated towards scanning. She had long since fine tuned to outputs to detect the temperature differences of targeting beams, the burst of energy as an explosive shell was charged and a hundred other indicators. She often could tell what someone was intending to do before they completed the action.

The memories that allowed her to reach this point were a bittersweet victory. It hadn't taken long to realize what her operational orb was doing to her. As she lost pieces of herself she made sure to keep hold of her hatred. In desperation she had thrown herself into the study of Operation Orbs in an attempt to bypass the limits Being X had imposed on her.

She failed. It was one of the few times Tanya had completely failed too. She could recreate an orb and even managed to suggest directions to research improvements. Not to mention the success she had with the networks. But nothing stopped or even slowed the mental corruption and as time passed she could feel her hatred waning.

In the end it had been a simple choice. To commit suicide and deny the bastard Being X his victory. Her final victory.

He hadn't liked that. Not at all. It was nice to know that for all his power he had limitations. So they had struck a bargain. Still not her favor, but at least the mental corruption had been halted and largely reversed. Not that it made much of a difference by then.

She knew what was happening. She had studied pyschology and anatomy in her first life. She knew the constant battles, rushes of adrenaline and feelings of relief were doing to her. All of it made so much worse due to the mental corruption from the Type 95 Operational Orb.

Being X had promised to stop it and delivered in her new Type 100 Operational Orb, but the damage had already been done. She also had never had the time to relax and try to find her past self. She was one of the most decorated soldiers in the empire and constantly being deployed.

After a while she just stopped caring. The rush of combat turned into a joy for battle. Rather then dread it, she now sought it out. There was a rush better than flying, alcohol, drugs or sex that came from fighting.

She knows its just the surge of adrenaline, but nothing else has ever gotten her blood racing with that same mix of desperation and anticipation. There was a thrill in knowing a single mistake was her last. To winning. To be the last one standing in a field of the remains of those who weren't quite as good.

That image was a powerful one and had been the impetus behind her most well known title. Valkyrie. Chooser of the slain. The mythical being who watches over dead heroes.

Of course her title had a darker side to it. No matter how you pretty it up though, the facts don't change. Tanya von Degurechaff had a distressing tendency to be the only survivor of any battle she was in.

Sure there were mitigating factors. She was usually hideously outnumbered. Often facing odds of more than ten to one as the lines were pushed back. Lacking in critical supplies. Rare was the battle she wasn't forced to use captured weapons or was reduced to melee.

Her enemies had another name for her. Lucifer, the morning star. Tanya still wasn't sure about the name. At least it was more appropriate than the Devil of the Rhine. And the video clip of her shining brightly before destroying everything below did fit the image.

Overall it was a brilliant piece of marketing and even some fools in the Empire had been taken in. There had even been assassination attempts. Tanya much preferred the front lines. At least there no one cared if you destroyed the buildings your enemies were hiding in.

At least Being X had lost. Tanya's obvious faith along with the pressures of fighting a war they were losing had spawned a fanatical level of faith. So much that their enemies had instinctively recoiled from even the thought of doing the same. Being X's religion had a decent chance of being relegated to mythology once the war is over.

Sadly it looks like the ride wouldn't last much longer. At least not for her. Paralleling the events from her original world The Empire was losing. She won't be around to see it though.

Tanya was alone and facing an entire fleet. It was a bit flattering that they had gathered so many people just for her. Reinforcements were on the way, but they'll arrive much too late.

She can feel the energies surging within her as she carefully fought to suppress them. As soon as they were close enough she intended to detonate. With no magical inference, everyone will be able to record her final cowardly act. If she was lucky it'll be the final straw that shatters everyone's faith.

As the energy built up past her ability to contain Tanya grinned and held up a middle finger towards the sky. Screw you Being X. I win.

 **Oooo - Ooo - Oo - O - oOo - O - oO - ooO - oooO**

Being X reviewed the results of his test and cackled. Tanya was perfect. Not even his worst enemies could claim she was a follower of his. Not with her actions directly resulting in the total suppression of his faith in that dimension.

Even better Tanya remained a devout atheist. Fervently denying the existence of divine beings. He had a tenuous hold on her due to her parents registering her as a child. Everyone else had at least made the practical choice and bowed down when faced with destruction, but not her.

He had kept a close watch over her and seen just how her actions had altered the world. Inspiring millions with her supposed zeal. Not that she was one.

And of course there aren't any rules for blessing your enemies. After all that would be insane. He laughed again. This scheme was perfect. Already he had magnificent results. His worship, inspired by Tanya, willingly or not, has soared as the war dragged on and her habits became famous. Soldiers everywhere were now praying actively in battle.

Sure it ultimately led to the banning of his church, but that won't last forever. Besides with that as her track record no Being could argue that he was sending a champion over. Who'd make a champion out of an avowed atheist who caused the destruction of his largest church?

Best of all she still hated him so he can just repeat it. Unwillingly or not, she was a magnificent warrior, the kind most gods competed against to claim. If it wasn't for the fact she refused to worship anyone.

Of course that doesn't matter for him. Thanks to that last curse she was his. She may not pray to him, but she acknowledged him, and that gave him plenty of wiggle room in which to work.


End file.
